Art Starts Now utilizes the silt fencing used at construction sites to prevent erosion as a scroll to present poetic lines of text. This provides an opportunity to integrate art into the construction phase, adding something interesting to the typical mix of construction activity. It’s a value-added process; rather than buying new material, silt fabric already required for the project is embellished with the selected lines of text.All told, we received over a hundred rolls of fencing from the construction company. We painted lines of text onto the fencing using 17′′ letter stencils, markers, india ink and foam brushes. The lines of text ranged from 26 to 55 feet long.

Painting lines onto silt fencing.

After painting, we delivered the rolls to the construction yard for workers to install as and where needed.

Finals rolls of printed fencing delivered to the construction yard.

We don’t have control over where the rolls or specific lines are installed. It’s a bit of a serendipitous process. Sometimes a roll is cut or altered in the field for a pragmatic reason, resulting in on the spot editing. Also, the meaning of a the line can shift in relation to its context.

Line with train in background.

Construction on the west side of the river started earlier than construction on the east. The silt fencing was already installed when Art Starts Now began. At these locations we are using spray paint and stencils to print lines onto the fencing.

Peg sets up bracing prior to spray painting a line of text on previously installed fencing. Location is SW Naito at SW Lincoln.

Line installed on SW Naito St.

Art Starts Now Locations

Below is a guide to the general locations where lines are installed. The file will be updated as fencing is installed or removed: this one was updated on 3-4-13.